Tourism professionals in Nepal take Chinese language course

KATHMANDU, July 19 -- Over 40 tourism entrepreneurs in Nepal started learning Chinese language on Wednesday in Kathmandu, aiming to boost the tourism industry.

The six-month-long "Chinese Language Training Course for Nepalese Tourism Professionals" was organized by the Chinese Embassy in Nepal.

The program comes at a time when the arrival of Chinese tourists is surging as China becomes the second largest tourism source of the Himalayan country.

"Language is not just for boosting the political or diplomatic relations between the two countries, it also enhances the understanding and bonding in people-to-people level," Bharat Mani Subedi, joint secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, said at the inaugural ceremony.

Prior to this, officials from the Ministry of Tourism had received the Chinese language course.